Ritual Vessel, Liding, Late Shang Dynasty, 1600-1046 B.C.

Lot 3112. Ritual Vessel, Liding, Late Shang Dynasty, 1600-1046 B.C. H 21.4cm. Estimate HKD 2,500,000 - 4,000,000 (USD 319,048 - 510,476). Sold price HKD 2,950,000 (USD 376,476). © Poly Auction.

The tri-lobed body cast in low relief with three taotie masks with large rounded eyes positioned above. Each of the three slightly tapering columnar legs and flanked by descending dragons, all reserved against the leiwen ground, the decoration enhanced by black inlay, with a pair of bail handles rising from the narrow everted rim, with an inscription below the rim on the interior, the dark grey patina with some green encrustation and earth-colored adhesions.

Literature: Christian Deydier, Archaic Bronze Vessels from Private Collections, 2012 Paris.

Note: Liding of this type were common during the late Anyang and early Western Zhou period, and several vessels similar to the present example can be found in the early stage of Late Yinxu Xiaotun M239, and a ding from the west area in the last stage of Late Yinxu, illustrated in the YinXu Xinchutu Qingtongqi, CASS, Beijing, 2008, p366-7, pl. 196. Some liding in the Palace Museum, Taipei have similar shape and decorations. Other similar lidings are illustrated by R. W. Bagley, Shang Ritual Bronzes in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, 1987, pp. 486-93, nos. 93-5, as well as excavated examples, pp. 488-9, figs. 93.2 - 93.7.